‘She has done what she could.’ Mark 14:8 NKJV Jesus paid one of His greatest compliments to a woman of the streets who poured costly ointment from an alabaster box onto His head: ‘She has done what she could.’God requires no more of us, and is worthy of no less. One night in 1837, a woman called Florence heard the voice of God telling her she’d a special mission in life. Nine years later that mission began to take shape when a friend sent her information about an institution in Germany that trained deaconesses, so she went there and learned to care […]

‘Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Romans 5:1 KJV Charles Stanley tells of asking his waitress, ‘If you could ask God for anything, what would that be?’ Instantly she answered, ‘I want to feel at peace.’ Through tears she spoke of painful losses that turned her life into intense emotional turmoil. Many people, like this young woman, want inner peace without a relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. They seek it in ways that don’t work—physical fitness, improving their appearance, financial security, fame, social status, or human relationships. Some seek it in […]

‘Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”’ 2 Samuel 12:7 NKJV Can you imagine the courage and integrity it took for Nathan the prophet to challenge King David about his affair with Bathsheba? Most of us tend to avoid confrontation because we fear being disliked and rejected. But when you avoid confrontation it often makes things worse. By hiding his sin, David was robbing himself of the blessing of the Lord. Looking back, he wrote, ‘If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my… prayer.’ (Psalm 66:18–19 […]

‘This mystery… is Christ in you.’ Colossians 1:27 NIV Paul writes, ‘Christ lives in me.’ (Galatians 2:20 NIV) No other religion makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers. No wonder Paul refers to it as ‘the mystery’. We comprehend the idea of Christ for me, or with me, or ahead of me. But Paul said it’s better than that—Christ in me! In his writings Paul refers to this union with Christ 216 times. John mentions it 26 times. They describe a Christ who not only woos us to Himself, but actually ‘ones’ us with Himself. John writes, ‘Whoever confesses that […]

‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.’ Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV When God said, ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you,’ you could call it ‘a spiritual heart transplant’. Tara Storch understands this miracle. In 2010 a skiing accident claimed the life of her thirteen-year-old daughter, Taylor. What followed for Tara and her husband, Todd, was every parent’s worst nightmare: a funeral, a burial, a flood of questions and tears. They decided to donate their daughter’s organs to needy patients. And few people needed a heart more than […]

‘That… He might show… His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.’ Ephesians 2:7 NIV The Bible says: ‘God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms… that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.’ (Ephesians 2:6–7 NIV) God sent Jesus from Heaven to earth, so that we can leave earth one day and go to Heaven. This is evidence of God’s kindness, even to those who aren’t yet believers. Beyond that, enjoying the presence of Christ in […]

‘Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.’ Romans 1:12 NCV We’ve a tendency to adopt the attitudes of the people closest to us. That’s why Paul wrote, ‘Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.’ The truth is that doubters get what they expect—and so do believers! Looking for God’s best in every situation isn’t just Scriptural; it helps you identify opportunities you’d otherwise miss. Seeing people through God’s eyes causes them to be attracted to you and open in how they react. Is that important? Absolutely! Why? Because often your attitude will touch them before your message does. […]

‘…you were redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ…’ 1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV The story of redemption begins in Eden with God shedding the blood of a lamb to cover Adam’s and Eve’s sin, and ends in Heaven with a multi-national choir singing, ‘…You…have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every…nation.’ (Revelation 5:9 NKJV) The blood of Jesus Christ represents two things: (1) The cost of your sin. Rolled on to Christ’s shoulders was the weight of your every misdeed from the cradle to the grave. Next time you’re tempted to violate God’s Word and do your own thing, bear that in […]